More and more students are flocking to the internet to research their college papers. One of the more frustrating challenges for these students is correctly formatting electronic sources according to APA (American Psychological Association) style.
Students find their online sources, integrate them into their paper and are then challenged with that References page. For electronic sources, they face a maddening array of formatting possibilities. This is true for the student practiced in APA as well as those who are learning the basics of APA citation.
Finding Online Help
Fortunately, there are several extremely useful and contemporary sites in the cyber universe to make the citation task a bit easier. As instructors (and grads) know, it is not possible to memorize every citation format. Recognizing when a citation is required, and finding a helping tool are two indispensable practices of the clever student. In an environment where time is often condensed and academic demands are high, it pays to work smart.
APA Publication Manual
The sixth edition of the APA (American Psychological Association) Publication Manual is the primary source for electronic citation formats. However, for the student who prefers the internet, the print edition of the Publication Manual is slow and cumbersome. It also lacks the efficient "copy and paste" tool that retains a format template.
APA does have a handy Style Blog, which deserves bookmarking. Written by various members of the APA, it functions as an extended FAQ for some of the most common citation and formatting questions. Students wondering how to cite undated material or electronic articles without an author will find the answer here. The Blog contains full length explanations, links to the APA primary page and a very helpful search feature. The one failing of this blog is the lack of fresh material.
Purdue OWL
Several university writing centers cater to the APA-challenged student with online guides. One of the most frequently used and reliable of these is hosted by Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab, better known as Purdue OWL.
The OWL is a huge site and could replace an instructor for the self-directed student. Everything is here, from sample APA title pages to guides on style, abbreviations and detailed explanations on parsing a citation – all found within its Research and Citation Resources section. The starting page for formatting electronic citations, per the APA, is buried deep and reflects the layers of information presented.
Purdue OWL is by far one of the most comprehensive APA resources, giving a range of electronic source formats that are not found in similar academic sites. The 6th edition of the APA Publication Manual is used at Purdue OWL.
Son of Citation Machine
David Warlick is probably not a frequently bantered name among college students. But mention the Son of Citation Machine and those in the know will give a cheer. Son of Citation or CMachine is one, cool, tool for stressed essayists, hammering out a References or Works Cited page.
CMachine is quick (no registration required), nearly effortless and offers translations in four languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French, German). The online tool supports the major style guides including APA, MLA (Modern Language Association), Turabian and Chicago. Divided into Print and Non-Print, users find their appropriate source (web page, online journal, government document, etc.), input data, click and voila, a full citation is created along with the in-text citation. Proper italics and paragraph formatting is included in the final citation.
The CMachine was founded and developed by Warlick and went live in October 2000 to serve high school, college and university students along with instructors and researchers. Created as part of the Landmark for Schools Project web site and initially focused as a teachers’ aide, CMachine has become a hot favorite among students, and a learning aid for instructors.
Work Smart, Use the Tools
Undergraduate and graduate students have learned, through laborious experience, that it makes more sense to work smart and use the tools available. Start this next term by bookmarking one or all of these APA formatting tools and save your mental energy for crafting that essay.
Join the Conversation